The Rev. Joseph “Larry” Gallegos and Deacon Toby Romero conduct morning Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Feb. 27. Gallegos joins other American priests who hope healing will occur after the sexual-abuse scandals of the last decade as the College of Cardinals prepares to elect a new pope.

SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald

The Rev. Joseph “Larry” Gallegos and Deacon Toby Romero conduct morning Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Feb. 27. Gallegos joins other American priests who hope healing will occur after the sexual-abuse scandals of the last decade as the College of Cardinals prepares to elect a new pope.

By Ann Butler

Herald Staff Writer

As the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics wait to see who will be their next pope, a lot of questions are being asked. Should the cardinals go back to electing a pope from Italy after the Polish John Paul II and the German Benedict XVI? Maybe someone from Latin America, which comprises more than 40 percent of the Catholics in the world, should be the next pontiff? Perhaps a cardinal from Africa, the fastest-growing region of the church, ought to be a contender? Should he be a theologian or a man of the people? Progressive or conservative?

Pundits are picking their most likely candidates, and Vatican watchers all have an opinion, with many wondering if the next pope will be a non-European for the first time in 1,500 years. But local Catholics seem pretty calm about who will follow Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down last week.

What would they like to see in the next pontiff?

“Someone who is able to realize how important everybody is in the church, not just laity, clergy, or the hierarchy, recognizing we’re all the true church,” said the Rev. Jim Koenigsfeld of St. Columba Catholic Church. “And to get some of the scandal things behind us and move on with the growth and holiness we’re all called to be.”

His counterpart at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Rev. Joseph “Larry” Gallegos, also would like to see the sexual-abuse scandals that have come to light over the last decade addressed.

“I just want someone who’s fixing the mistakes we’ve made,” he said, “correcting whatever abuses have occurred. I hope he’ll continue reaching out to others and being ecumenical.”

Many had no opinion on what kind of person or leader they’d like to see, trusting that the College of Cardinals, which probably will gather to elect a new pope within the next few days, will select the right leader for the times.

“That’s a core belief of the church,” said St. Columba Catholic School Principal Kevin Chick, who came to the faith as an adult 10 years ago. “We believe the cardinals will truly be discerning the will of God. We trust the Holy Spirit will work among the cardinals to choose the successor to Peter, the first pope. But I do hope there will be a focus on youth and faith formation.”

Selina Gallero, who is active at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, had to stop and think about what she would like to see.

“I pray for a pope who continues to look forward,” she said, “one who reaches out to everyone, and one who realizes that he still has a lot to learn. One who inspires each of us to have a greater understanding of the love and mercy of God. My vision is clearly to have a pope for the people of God regardless of his nationality.”

People of all ages join Koenigsfeld in wanting things to settle down a bit after the turmoil over the last decade.

“I hope it’s someone who really cares about the church and wants it to go in the right direction,” said Daniel Sandner, an eighth-grader at St. Columba School, who is the son of Steve and Martha Sandner. “Someone who keeps those old traditions alive by letting them live on.”

Daniel doesn’t know anything about the cardinals who might be elected to oversee the Holy See and says the most important thing to him isn’t the selection process but the result.

“I like the way we praise God now, and I hope it continues through the new pope,” he said.

Gallegos, though, hopes the new pope will look toward the future, too.

“I hope it’s someone who has a vision for the future because the times are changing,” he said.

It’s not just in conclave that Catholics try to follow the will of the Holy Spirit, Chick said.

“It’s our entire decision-making process, even with groups like the school advisory council,” Chick said. “We come feeling fortunate to be called, we bring our intellect, bring our views and feel we are truly there to discern what the Holy Spirit wants us to do.”

Sixth-, seventh- and eighth grade students from St. Columba Catholic School wait their turn to rehearse the school’s Passion Play in the sanctuary of St. Columba Church on Tuesday morning. It’s a school tradition for the middle school-aged students to present the story of the death and Resurrection of Christ during Lent.

SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald

Sixth-, seventh- and eighth grade students from St. Columba Catholic School wait their turn to rehearse the school’s Passion Play in the sanctuary of St. Columba Church on Tuesday morning. It’s a school tradition for the middle school-aged students to present the story of the death and Resurrection of Christ during Lent.

Rex Gwinn, a seventh-grade student at St Columba School, carries a cross at St. Columba Church on Tuesday morning as students rehearse their upcoming Passion Play. Durango’s Catholics will join others from around the world as the church’s cardinals gather in Rome to elect a new pope.

SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald

Rex Gwinn, a seventh-grade student at St Columba School, carries a cross at St. Columba Church on Tuesday morning as students rehearse their upcoming Passion Play. Durango’s Catholics will join others from around the world as the church’s cardinals gather in Rome to elect a new pope.

Choosing a pope

The Roman Catholic Church is currently in a period called the interregnum or sede vacante, when St. Peter’s throne is vacant. The church is being guided by the College of Cardinals, which also will elect Benedict XVI’s successor. Only cardinals who are younger than 80 are eligible to vote, and they are called cardinal electors. Their number is limited to a maximum of 120, but only 116 are eligible to vote in 2013 since Cardinal Keith O’Brien of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, resigned last week and said he would not take part in the election.

All cardinals are welcome during the general congregation, which is taking place now. The congregation is a time of both formal and informal meetings, when the timing and rules of the voting are established, the cardinals discuss the opportunities and challenges the new pope will face, and the merits of possible candidates are discussed.

After a Mass asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, the cardinal electors go into conclave, or seclusion in the Sistine Chapel for the voting process. This will be the 75th conclave since the practice began in 1295.

A prospective pope must receive two-thirds of the votes to be elected, which can take numerous ballots over many days. Every time a balloting is unsuccessful, the ballots are burned with chemicals that produce a black plume of smoke, as an indication to the faithful that no pope has yet been elected.

Once a candidate receives an adequate number of votes, he is asked if he wants to accept his election. If he accepts, the ballots are burned with chemicals that produce a white plume of smoke, he chooses his papal name and is dressed in the papal vestments. The senior cardinal deacon, currently French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, will proceed to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and announces “Habemus Papam,” “We have a pope.” The new pope then comes out to impart his blessing on the world.

The cardinals may be feeling some pressure, as many Catholics would like to see a new pope in time for Easter.

Eight cardinal electors will be from the United States.

To learn more about the election of a pope, what happens inside a conclave and other details, visit the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at www.usccb.org.